The New Beginning
by MoonlightMasquerader
Summary: Just a fluffy little one-shot about the first day of return after the defeat of Yami. Amaterasu and Waka arrive safely on the Celestial Plain, but must now focus on the task at hand. Our loveable half-baked prophet struggles with some depressing memories, while Ammy is just her usual adorable self.


Disclaimer: i _unfortunately_ do not own okami because if I did you can be sure that there would be some bonus content in the game where the player gets more information on the moon-tribe and a little bonus thing where you can run around on the Celestial Plain... But there's not, so I don't.

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**The New Beginning**

The great metal ship soared through the sky, sweeping aside the wisps of cloud as if they were the crests of waves in the endless expanse of starlight. Intricate patterns of a radiant blue light were scattered over the surface of the vessel. These markings of azure that depicted ancient hieroglyphs of unknown origin were accompanied by a sail of the same colour that lit up the darkness. The Ark of Yamato sailed through the night only to be seen by the stars, as the mortals far below were deep in their slumber. An air of tranquillity had settled over the ship; despite the fact that it had once been the slaughter ground of thousands of celestials, barley an echo of those dazzling beings dying screams remained. However one man could still hear it; the ragged breaths of those who fled from death through the hallways of their prison, the desperate cries of men, women, and children alike who were all assigned the same fate. Their crimson blood stained his hands. If he had not opened the Ark door to them, if he had not attempted to offer them refuge from the demons that plagued them… It was he who had led those beautiful creatures to their deaths with the sweet promise of refuge.

The moon-tribesman stared blankly into the darkness. After 200 years the nightmares still had their claws buried deep within the roots of his mind. The glistening stars that were scattered across the night sky had never seemed so far away. Waka gave a remorseful sigh and lent back in his chair. There was nothing more to be done, the celestials were dead, now an extinct species that would be only told of in stories. To those that remained of his tribe, the celestials were viewed as myths or legends, but to the mortal realm they were little more than fabrications.

Sensing her companion's discomfort, Amaterasu rose from her position on the floor nearby, and made her way over to him. Leaning back on her haunches, she was able to rest her delicate paws and head on his lap. The gentle weight and warmth of the wolf's body coaxed Waka's attention from the depths of his despair. He looked down fondly at the Sun Goddess.

"You shouldn't worry about moi, I am merely reminiscing some old mistakes."

At this, ivory ears twitched in irritation as the wolf gave a disbelieving snort. However, she did not question him further. Closing her eyes, Amaterasu allowed the blond man to rub behind her ears absentmindedly, the sensation of her silky fur beneath his fingertips comforting him.

"Merci ma chérie"

-x-

Waka was awoken to the sound of rhythmic thumps as Amaterasu's tail repeatedly hit the floor in excitement. Her paws were still situated in his lap; however her head was raised, ears pricked up and rich golden eyes alight with joy. The moon-tribesman chuckled in amusement at the elated expression that graced the Goddess's lupine features. Instantly reacting to his laughter, the wolf let out a loud bark that echoed throughout the entire Ark. Tail still wagging she bounded out of the control room and down one of the many hallways, leaving Waka to wonder at her sudden boost in energy. An image on the Ark screen caught his attention a moment later. They had arrived. The real floating island was similar to the image the Ark had shown him as they'd left the mortal realm, however this island did not radiate life. The vivid colours from the record of the Plain had been replaced by cold stone and dry soil. It was no more than a huge chunk of matter that floated beyond time – impressive, but nothing compared to its former self. Without the power of the Gods or Celestials to sustain it, the land had fallen into ruin.

"Is this really what the Realm of the Gods has been reduced to?"

At that moment, an ethereal howl sliced through his murmured words like a knife. Hurriedly, Waka brought up an image of the area at the base of the Ark using the technology of his tribe. Her pure white coat was luminous against the dead wasteland that had formerly been her home. Despite the depressing scene, Amaterasu did not appear to be discouraged. To Waka it seemed that, if anything, the Goddess was elated at the sight.

By the time the prophet had taken his first step onto the Plain, Amaterasu was nowhere in sight. However the patch of ground where she had been standing only moments earlier was now bursting with life. Here, in the land of the Gods, there was no need for the wolf to find a Guardian Sapling. For she whose powers had been fully restored, a divine intervention without the tree spirit's help was no small feat, but it was also not impossible. In the distance Waka could see a bullet of white shooting across the barren land; grass, flowers, and trees following in its wake. Floating above the trail of life she had left on the land, the moon-tribesman soared off across the land that was waking up from its slumber. He had no hope of catching her at that speed, but to be witness to the miracle that was unfolding before him was more than he could have hoped for.

One by one, the Brush Gods began to appear in physical form.

Nuregami leapt forth from the once tightly corked bottle that contained her and she dived towards what Waka perceived to have previously been a lake. As her smooth head broke the surface of non-existent water, ripples pooled around her and a crystalline liquid surged into existence. When her head broke the surface of the water once more it was only to dive towards another dried up trench, this time a river. Once the water had begun to flow, the Snake God swam down the river to continue her restoration.

Intrigued by this, Waka followed as the graceful line of her body twisted through the water; she was clearly enjoying the sense of return to her home just as much as Amaterasu.

The river curved through a forest that had not been there when they arrived, and Waka could hear the music of the Flora Gods as they swung through the trees. As Nuregami swam on, a little pool was filled and only moments later a lily pad appeared on its surface. The man watched in wonder as the tiny pink flower buds bloomed before his eyes and a soft carpet of moss grew beneath his feet.

As he arrived at the edge of the dense forest, a large mountain of dusky-blue stone caught his eye. The snow covered peak had formally been just as lifeless as the rest of the Plain, however sure enough the Brush Gods were seeing to it that their respective techniques were restoring the land to its former glory.

-x-

When Waka finally reunited with Amaterasu, she was in the remains of what appeared to be a large stone temple. Grand pillars reached skyward only to crumble short of the ceiling, while the ceiling itself had collapsed to reveal the vast expanse of blue above them. The wolf Goddess calmly approached the altar in the centre of the room, her claws making a slight clacking noise against the stone-tiled floor. Drifting forward cautiously, so as not to disturb her, the Goddess's blond companion realised that what he had at first believed to be a large, glass dish filled with water was actually a mirror. The first thing Waka noticed about the mirror was that, although it reflected the room around them, the reflection held no imperfections. The reflected ceiling was well-cared for, and none of the reflected pillars were damaged despite the fact that the one closest to the mirror was no more than a stump of carved stone.

The second thing he noticed was that even though things that no longer existed _were_ reflected, two things that _did_ exist were not; namely Amaterasu and himself.

"Allow me Merciful Mother, Okami Amaterasu."

The deep voice was rich and powerful, and the pair turned to face the newcomer. Yomigami bowed his great scaled head to Amaterasu before his gaze flickered to Waka for a moment, only to cast a disapproving glare in his direction. Not that Waka could blame him; it was his fault that the Celestial Plain was in this state to begin with, the Dragon God had every right to detest him. Amaterasu stepped back from the altar as the Dragon approached. Hovering over the mirror, the white scaled beast began to hum with energy, the four globes in his claws filling with a golden light. As his the tip of his tail touched the centre of the mirror, ripples ghosted across its surface and suddenly the entire temple was covered with a golden glow. Upon closed inspection Waka corrected his previous evaluation: the glow did not cover the stone temple, but was in fact inside it. Every particle of the building seemed to be humming with the same energy that Yomigami himself previously held. Once the light has faded the temple now matched its reflection. Waka rested his palm against the newly restored stone and smiled as the remains the divine energy caused his palm to tingle with warmth.

"With that, I shall leave you Benevolent Mother." The dragon swept out of the carved doorway as silently as he had come without even the slightest acknowledgement of the Moon-tribesman.

Amaterasu whined as a sorrowful look flitted behind the blue eyes of her friend.

"I told you earlier baby, you should not concern yourself with moi. After all, this tragedy was my fault, was it not?"

Before Waka was able to fly off, Amaterasu caught his sleeve gently with her fangs. When he refused to look at her, she tugged him backwards, much less gently. The prophet found himself in the difficult situation of being sat on by a Goddess. It was not the worst situation he had been in, however it was far from the most desirable due to Amaterasu's considerable weight. He wheezed as she settled into a more comfortable position on his chest.

"You're heavier than you look ma chérie"

In return the wolf nipped his ear and gave him a sarcastic look.

"Alright, that was uncalled for. Je suis désolé."

Amber eyes watched him carefully.

"I really would appreciate it if you would get off though."

After a moment of contemplation, Amateraus seemed to approve of his request and she shifted her weight so that she was lying beside him. When Waka had sat up she rubbed her muzzle against his cheek softly and gave him an affectionate lick with her rough tongue.

"Your compassion truly knows no bounds… However if you wished to become more intimate you need only ask."

He winked, azure eyes sparkling as he teased her. The Goddess simply turned away from his teasing, hitting his arm with her tail as she did so. Finding he had no more energy to get up off the floor, Waka watched from the centre of the room as Amaterasu padded around the edge of the room. Every time she passed one of the fifteen pedestals against the wall, she placed on of her Divine Instruments on it. Each glowed with a pure light. Finally she came to the pedestal at the back of the room, opposite the large doorway, and placed her final weapon down. The Solar Flare reflector burned with a holy light. Satisfied, Ammy returned to her companion's side and lay behind him. She curled her body around him in such a way that when he lay back down, she became a pillow of luminescent fur. He traced her crimson markings with one long finger and pressed his lips gently against the Goddess's back, wanting to savour every moment he was able to spend with her like this.

The Celestial Plain had not yet been fully restored, but it was healing. Waka sighed as the weight on his heart lifted a little. The Goddess beside him did not stir, but her presence was all that was needed to comfort him. The pair were content with their first day in the Holy Realm, and as the blond prophet fell asleep his breathing harmonized with hers.

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Yay i wrote something~ You should be super proud of me okay because I should be revising for exams and stuff but I'm sick so forget it.  
I _really_ ship Ammy/Waka but the focus in this fic was more on the fluffy side of their relationship. So really you can interpret it both romantically and just as pure friendship - whichever floats your boat.

But I hope you liked it none the less xx


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